Review- Into The Deep by Samantha Young

Summary-

Live young. Live hard. Love deep.

Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.

Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.

As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.

And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…

Review-

I am a huge Samantha Young fan. I love New Adult. Combine these two things and I just had to read Into The Deep. It had all the elements I love in a book so I was super excited to get started. I actually really enjoyed Into The Deep, though On Dublin Street still remains my favorite. I know its not fair to compare these two cause they come from 2 completely different genres but I can't help it.

Charley is our main character. I loved her. She was very likeable and very easy to relate to. When Charley was sixteen Jake Chaplin moved to town and there was an instant connection between them. Just when things were perfect, a tragic incident leaves Jake and Charley's relationship broken. Jake moves away irrevocably changing Charley.

Now, 4 years later they meet again in Edinburgh and the past comes again to surface. Though Jake has a girlfriend now and Charley will never put herself out there again. As much as I loved Charley, Jake took time to grow on me. At first, he came of as a really selfish guy. But as all the angst and longing started coming out you could understand him.

The spark, the chemistry is present all along between Jake and Charley. Thankfully, there is no cheating present in the book but things really don't happen until after about 70%. We get a really good insight about how things were in the past between them and everything just makes you understand how it was for them.

I also loved the whole gang of friends. Especially Claudia and Beck. I really hope they sort things out between them. Even by the end of the book there are a ton of unresolved issues between Jake and Charley so there is another book, Out of the Shallows in the series. Samantha Young is awesome and Into The Deep made for a great New Adult read.

Waiting On Wednesday #53

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi

Publication Date: February 4th 2014

Goodreads Summary:

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.

Do I even need to say anything? Yes! I have a hell lot to say! No. I don't think so. 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? 

Link me up to your posts in the comments and I'll drop by to see your picks! 

Cover Reveal- Beautiful Chances by Alicia Rae

We're happy to be part of the Cover Reveal for Beautiful Chances by Alicia Rae hosted by Literati Author Services. And without much ado, let's directly get on to the post we have for you. 

Title:  Beautiful Chances

Author:  Alicia Rae

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Publication Date:  September 10, 2013

Event Organized by:  Literati Author Services

Cover by: Okay Creations 

SYNOPSIS:

After losing her parents and sister in a tragic car accident, Lily distances herself from those still around her. As she solely focuses on her work, she refuses to form any emotional attachments in fear of struggling through another unbearable loss.

…until Kyle enters her life with his possessive and overbearing personality. Instead of running, Lily finds herself drawn to him. Helping her on a path to healing, Kyle stands by her side and lends her his strength.

A bond is formed, but it is tested when the unthinkable happens.

Can taking a chance on love conquer all? 

Goodreads link / Video Trailer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alicia Rae is a Contemporary Romance Author who lives in Dekalb, Illinois, with her husband and three beautiful boys. Alicia has a passion for reading all types of romance, writing to bring a story to life, and photography.

Thank you to my dear sister, Kels, who showed me a few years ago how much I truly missed reading. And to my loving husband, for not throwing away my Nook, and planting the seed of writing into my mind. I am forever grateful. Xo

Readers, words cannot thank you enough for supporting me along this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I do writing them. I thank each and every one of you.

Believe in yourself and follow your dreams...

Connect with the Author: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

This book sounds really nice! 

Thank you for stopping by! 

Teaser Tuesday #53

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Here's my teaser-

"Aren't all the best songs about a girl? It doesn't matter if it's metal, if it's country, if it's blues or rock and roll; all the songs that make us remember and make us want to sing along are about the best kind of girl, the kind you can't live without but can't ever get a hold of."

-Jet by Jay Crownover

Summary-

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

What's your teaser?

Review- Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

REVIEW:

Colleen Hoover's Slammed (my review) left me awestruck and Point Of Retreat (my review) left me overawed, which means the same thing. Seriously, both the books in the Slammed series left me smiling and I was insanely eager to read Hopeless. While Slammed and Point Of Retreat were expectedly incredible, Hopeless was unexpectedly and indescribably amazing. 
Being a Colleen Hoover book, I knew I'd love Hopeless, but the truth is that, when I started reading it, I just could not relate to the protagonist and it left me feeling disappointed. But, being a huge Colleen Hoover fan, I did not give up. I feel awful and embarrassed to admit that there came a point where I thought I'd just DNF the book. I hate to admit that I even thought how all the readers sat through it. God, what was I thinking? I loved this book. I loved it so damn much. 
Just when I thought I'd had enough, Colleen Hoover threw something so incredibly smashing and glittering that I found myself digging deep into the story. There have been so many books that have left me speechless and yet, I go on and on admiring and praising them. 

But admiring and praising Hopeless? Where do I even start? How do I even start? 
This time, I really am speechless. I have decided not to say anything about the story because it is complicated, it really is very complicated and the beauty of it is hard to describe. I will, instead, just say that if you haven't read Hopeless yet, I really have no clue what you are waiting for. Hopeless truly is a beautiful, strong, powerful, crazy, emotional and mind-bending read. 

Colleen Hoover! I cannot even describe how much I love her writing. It is so beautiful. It's so true and raw and uncut and clean. It is so simple and sweet and sparkling.  

Hopeless is such an incredibly, almost insanely and thoroughly beautiful, amazing and wonderful story. The characters are beautiful and broken and so is the story. It is not a tender or light-hearted read.  It is heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, mood-swinging and absolutely crackling. 

REVIEW:

Review- Here Sat a Key Maker by Makarand Lohire

Summary-

Can a poor boy dream of a life with his love? Does the lure of money drive one to betray ones own? Here Sat a Key Maker... is the story of Javed, Shashank, Preity, their simple lives complicated by poverty, love and ambition. Set in the backdrop of sprawling metropolis of Mumbai, will fate be kind enough to fulfill their wishes?

Review-

Here Sat a Key Maker by Makarand Lohire seemed like an interesting read. It is the story of a boy who is poor and how he loses his principles, thinking that if he gains money he can gain the love of his life. It is shown how simple actions by someone can turn into something very complicated in this world where everyone just looks out for himself.

Javed is the poor boy. He is a key maker who works to make his ends meet. Every day he watches a beautiful girl pass by who is the highlight in his dull life. Soon, Javed gets tangled up with a group of boys who are not hesitant to use unfair means to gain what they want. I liked Javed and found him to be a sincere guy. The circumstances in which he got involved were justified.

Shashank is the son of a rich doctor who's story goes parallel with Javed's. Their lives are connected in a way in which they don't know. Shashank is pining after Preity who is his batch mate. I liked Shashank but I hated Preity. She was a typical annoying girl who liked to string guys along. Sadly, Shashank was too blinded by his love to see that first but he came to his senses by the end of it.

Here Sat a Key Maker is set in Mumbai and I really enjoyed reading all the facets of the city which were shown. People from all walks of society reside here and you never know how one may be connected to another. The only thing I found a bit unreal was that the relation which we find between Javed and Shashank. It was not quite believable.

All in all Here Sat a Key Maker was an okay and entertaining read with twists and turns which I so did not see coming. Its a comparatively short read. Fans of Indian fiction can spend a few hours reading this.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. We thank the author.

Review- My Name Is Parvana by Deborah Ellis

Goodreads Summary:

On a military base in post-Taliban Afghanistan, American authorities have just imprisoned a teenaged girl found in a bombed-out school. The army major thinks she may be a terrorist working with the Taliban. The girl does not respond to questions in any language and remains silent, even when she is threatened, harassed and mistreated over several days. The only clue to her identity is a tattered shoulder bag containing papers that refer to people named Shauzia, Nooria, Leila, Asif, Hassan — and Parvana.

In this long-awaited sequel to The Breadwinner Trilogy, Parvana is now fifteen years old. As she waits for foreign military forces to determine her fate, she remembers the past four years of her life. Reunited with her mother and sisters, she has been living in a village where her mother has finally managed to open a school for girls. But even though the Taliban has been driven from the government, the country is still at war, and many continue to view the education and freedom of girls and women with suspicion and fear.

As her family settles into the routine of running the school, Parvana, a bit to her surprise, finds herself restless and bored. She even thinks of running away. But when local men threaten the school and her family, she must draw on every ounce of bravery and resilience she possesses to survive the disaster that kills her mother, destroys the school, and puts her own life in jeopardy.

A riveting page-turner, Deborah Ellis’s new novel is at once harrowing, inspiring and thought-provoking. And, yes, in the end, Parvana is reunited with her childhood friend, Shauzia.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of My Name Is Parvana by author Deborah Ellis from Hachette India in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book! 

I have read, been moved by and loved many books set in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I've had a growing admiration and I feel a deep connection with stories set in these two beautiful countries. There's something utterly glorious and impressive about books that are based on the downright stronghold of humanity. 
I have never ever tried to review said read books simply because it's difficult to put into words the sheer beauty of them. My Name Is Parvana, however, needs to be reviewed and I only hope that my words are able to do it justice. 

This book by Deborah Ellis is actually a sequel to the author's The Breadwinner Trilogy which I haven't read but I'm definitely going to keep an eye out on to read sometime simply because Deborah Ellis writes beautifully. 
Parvana is a girl from Kabul who is forced to move away from the capital of Afghanistan and her home city after the Taliban take over the country. Along with her ex-journalist mother and her sisters, who take with them their brothers and a few kids they give shelter to, these brave women start a school for girls, a first and one of it's kind establishment in the country. When the school is attacked by foreign military, Parvana finds herself in prison, under the watchful eye and scrutiny of foreign officers. 
Parvana was, by far, the bravest girl I have read about. She does whatnot for the safety of everyone. I loved how Parvana let her silence make her imagination run wild and how she gave immense importance to reading and writing. She was a brilliant, brave and beautiful human being. 

Although this book did not move me as deeply as most other books set in similar backgrounds have, it has still had an impact on me. I am not going to forget Parvana and her incredible story of courage for a very long time to come. It's going to be very close to my heart. My Name Is Parvana is beyond just a good read. It is a really really good read. 

And before ending, I must share this beautiful poem that Parvana, when she herself is captured, writes to a soldier feeling low... 

Razors pain you;

Rivers are damp;

Acids stain you;

And drugs cause cramps;

Guns aren't lawful;

Nooses give;

Gas smells awful;

You might as well live.

-Dorothy Parker

RATING: